Expansible bracelet



April 28, 1953 J. F. SAND EXPANSIBLE BRACELET Filed June 4, 1951 FIG.I.

FIG.3.

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 EXPANSIBLE BRACELET John F. Sand, Newark, N. J.,assignor to Gemex Company, Union, N. J., a corporation of New JerseyApplication June 4, 1951, Serial No. 229,713

1 Claim.

This invention relates to expansible bracelets, and more particularly toan expansible bracelet adapted for attachment thereto of an ornamentsuch as a charm or the like.

The object of the invention is the provision of an expansible bracelet,such as a wrist watch bracelet, of the type made up of pivotallyconnected links, to which an ornament such as a charm or the like may beconveniently attached. In general, this is accomplished by providing amember for attachment of an ornament such as a charm or the like to thebracelet, this member being attached at one end to the pivotalconnection or two links of the bracelet, adapted to extend laterallyoutward beyond the side of the bracelet, and adapted for connectionthereto at its outer end of an ornament such as a charm or the like. Amore specific feature of the invention involves having theornamentattaching member swingable to a concealed position, so that ifthe purchaser of a bracelet does not wish to attach an ornament thereto,the ornament-attaching member may be positioned out of sight. Otherfeatures will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofwhich will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the length of an expansiblebracelet embodying the invention, the bracelet being illustrated in itsfully contracted position, with its ornament-attaching member shown inlaterally extending position, with a showing in dotted lines of a charmattached thereto;

2 is an enlarged top plan view showing a portion of the length of thebracelet in an expanded condition;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 6-4 of Fig. 2;and,

Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the ornament-attaching memberof the bracelet in its position of concealment.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1-3 and 5 a portionof the length of an 2 expansible bracelet, which is generally designatedi. The bracelet is shown in fully contracted condition in Figs. 1 and 5,and in an expanded condition in Figs. 2 and 3. As illustrated, thebracelet is of the lazy-tongs type, comprising a series of pairs ofcentrally pivoted crossed links, each pair being designated 3, andconsisting oi'a toplink 5- and a bottom. link 7. Each pair of crossedlinks resembles an X. More particularly, each top link 5 comprises a toplink element 9 stamped from sheet metal, for example, having an integralhollow boss or sleeve H at its center, and integral pins It at itsends.Each bottom link i comprises a bottom link element i5 stamped from sheetmetal, for example, having a central aperture I1 and apertures 9 at itsends. As to each crossed pair 3 of links, the sleeve ll of the top linkelement ii extends through the central aperture H of the bottom linkelement i5, and has its end headed over as indicated at 2!, thereby toconstitute a center pivot for the top and bottom links. The pins 13 ofthe top link element 9 of any given pair 3 extend through the aperturesIQ of the bottom link elements It of the two adjacent pairs of crossedlinks 3, and the ends of the pins it are headed over as indicated at 23thereby to constitute pivots for pivotally connecting the crossed pairs3 in series. Each bottom link element it has an annular boss 25 aroundits central aperture ii engaging the respective top link elements 9 tospace these elements apart.

As to each pair 3 of links, a coiled spring 27 is lodged axially in thesleeve I I. At its end, the spring has laterally extending arms 29 and3!. Arm 253 extends along the top surface of the top link element ii,and arm 2'! extends along the bottom surface of the bottom link element15. Arm 25. engages a shell 33 fitted on the top link. Arm 36 engagesone of a number of tabs 35 formed integrally on the bottom link elementIt extending in the direction away from the top link element. A bottomshell 3'! fits on the bottom link, concealing the spring, the headedends of the pins l3, the headed end of the sleeve H,and the tabs 35. Thesprings act to bias the links to the fully contracted pQsitionillustrated in Fig. 1.

In accordance with this invention, a link mem ber 39 for attaching anornament such as a charm or the like to the bracelet is attached at Thislink member 39, as shown in Figs. 1-3, is adapted to extend laterallyoutward beyond the side of the bracelet, and is adapted for connectionthereto at its outer end of an ornament such as the charm 0 indicated indotted lines in Fig. 1. More particularly, the link member 39 consistsof a, fiat link, stamped from sheet metal for example, having apertures4| and 43 at its ends. As illustrated, the link is in the form of afigure 8. The end of the link 39 having aperture M is positionedflatwise between the meeting ends of the meeting top and bottom links 5and 1, with the pin l3 which pivotally connects these links extendingthrough the aperture 4|, thereby pivotally attaching the link 39 to thebracelet. spaced apart by the boss 25 a distance such as to providespace for reception of the link 39 between th top and bottom links.

As will now be seen, the link 39 may be swung around pivot pin is to theposition illustrated in Figs. 1-3 of the drawing extending laterallyoutward beyond the side of the bracelet so that an ornament such as thecharm C may be connected thereto at the outer end of the link, as forexample by linking the ornament such as the charm to the link 39 bymeans of a ring link R received in the outer aperture 93.

The length of the link 39 as measured from the center of aperture 4| tothe end of the link at aperture 43 preferably is less than the spacingof the pins [3 lengthwise of the fully contracted bracelet. This permitsswinging of the link, when no ornament is attached thereto, to aposition extending generally longitudinally of the bracelet wherein itis concealed between the top and bottom links. This is shown in Fig. 5.Thus, if the purchaser of the bracelet does not wish to use an ornamentthereon, the link 39 may be swung in to conceal it. This makes itpossible for the manufacturer to provide a bracelet which may be used bythe purchaser as a charm bracelet, since it is a relatively simplematter to attach a charm to the link 39, or not to use the bracelet as acharm bracelet, if so desired, in L- which case the link 39 may beefiectively concealed.

It will be understood that the construction of the bracelet links andtheir pivotal connections may take forms other than those specifically 1shown, and that it is within the scope of the invention that the form ofthe bracelet element be otherwise than that shown. For example, insteadof having solid pins 13 connecting the links, tubular posts may be used.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the The top and bottom linksare several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageousresults attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

The combination of an expansible wrist bracelet of the lazy-tongs typecomprising a series of pairs of centrally pivoted crossed links, eachpair consisting of a top and bottom link pivotally connected together attheir centers, the top link of each pair being pivotally connected atits ends by pivot members to the bottom links of the two adjacent pairs,and a member for attachment of an ornament such as a charm or the liketo the bracelet, said member consisting of a flat link having a firstopening at one end receiving the pivot member which pivotally connectsthe top link of one pair and the bottom link of an adjacent pair andbeing located between said two links, and adapted to be swung on saidpivot member between a position extending laterally outward beyond theside of the bracelet, and a position extending generally lengthwise ofthe bracelet concealed between the top and bottom links of the bracelet,said member having a second opening in its outer end for receiving meansfor attachment of an ornament, means spacing said top links and bottomlinks apart a distance not substantially greater than the thickness ofsaid flat link, said fiat link having a length measured from said firstopening to the opposite end of said flat link which does not exceed thedistance between adjacent pivot members when said bracelet is in acontracted position whereby the bracelet may be fully contracted withsaid flat link in its generally lengthwise position to thereby concealsaid fiat link.

JOHN F. SAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 709,533 Breitwieser Sept. 23, 1902 1,374,936 McGogy Apr. 19,1921 1,439,243 Hughes Dec. 19, 1922 2,138,596 Fassnacht Nov. 29, 19382,344,455 Bertherman Mar. 14, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date130,081 France Apr. 9, 1879

